Disabilities Rights Movements

Student : Euridiki Damoulianou

Course : Political Psychology

Instructor : Dr. Stathopoulou

What is disability ?

• A physical or mental impairment which limits an individual to carry out normal day-to-day activities and to participate fully in the society.

• An disabled person has some physical and mental impairments.

• The physical impairments affect the senses such as sight and hearing , heart disease , epilepsy etc..

• The mental impairments include learning disabilities and mental ill health.

• (Byrnes & Conte , 2007)

Disability Rights Movements are…

A number of social movements which advocate the civil rights for people with physical , cognitive , psychological and any kind of disabilities .

The principal aim of Disability Right Movements is to combat the barriers that disabled people face and to give them the same opportunities in the society like the non-disabled people.

(Branfield ,1999)

How Disabilities Right Movements started..

• The first small movement of disabled individual occurred in 1935 where six participants protested. Their goal was to reform the Social Security Act to include assistance to the disabled who were willing to work.

• 1930 – 1940 : Parents with disabled children who did not want their child to be banned from the public school started to organize .

• The majority of disabilities Right movements started to occur during the black civil rights movement.(1950 and afterwards)

. (Pettinicchio)

• .

By 1950…..88 local groups & 33 different organizations in 19 states were created (the National association by the parents & friends of mentally restarted children)

The majority of disabilities Right movements started to occur during the black civil rights movement (after 1950).

In 1960 a significant number of disabled individuals enrolled universities and a lot of student activism was created .

During the late 1970-1980 disabled activism was grown combined with increased mobilization.

As a result private corporations and public transit companies changed their vehicles and services in order to make them more appropriate for disabled people.

…….As extension of this activism during 1990 the participants of the Disability Right Movement achieved better Public transfer , building accessibility and protection of discrimination in the employment.

(Pettinicchio)

WOMEN WITH DISABILITIES & ABUSE !!!

• The increased dependence on care-givers and the frequent exposure on medical professionals increase the possibilities of an abuse to occur in a woman with disabilities.

• The abuse on disabled woman is not only limited to those acts that are considered normally as partner violence.

• Acts of abuse can include also the following : isolation , withholding of medication, being left in physical discomfort or embarrassing situations for a long period of time.

• Nixon (2009)

• Thank you for your attendance !!!

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPnv8yuW95U

References

Brandfield,(1999).The disability movement : a moved of disabled people,14(3),399-403. Brunel university.

Pettinicchio. The Disability Rights Movements. McGill University.

Byrnes & Conte,(2007). Disabilities : from exclusion to equality.

Nixon, (2009).Domestic violence and women with disabilities,24(1),77-89. Ruskin college.